diff --git a/vault/logical_system_test.go b/vault/logical_system_test.go
index d294e96165d7..a6de9f2ac0b5 100644
--- a/vault/logical_system_test.go
+++ b/vault/logical_system_test.go
@@ -3893,6 +3893,27 @@ func TestSystemBackend_PluginCatalog_ContainerCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	b := c.systemBackend
 
+	const pluginRuntime = "custom-runtime"
+	const ociRuntime = "runc"
+	conf := pluginruntimeutil.PluginRuntimeConfig{
+		Name:       pluginRuntime,
+		Type:       consts.PluginRuntimeTypeContainer,
+		OCIRuntime: ociRuntime,
+	}
+
+	// Register the plugin runtime
+	req := logical.TestRequest(t, logical.UpdateOperation, fmt.Sprintf("plugins/runtimes/catalog/%s/%s", conf.Type.String(), conf.Name))
+	req.Data = map[string]interface{}{
+		"oci_runtime": conf.OCIRuntime,
+	}
+	resp, err := b.HandleRequest(namespace.RootContext(nil), req)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v %#v", err, resp)
+	}
+	if resp != nil && (resp.IsError() || len(resp.Data) > 0) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", resp)
+	}
+
 	latestPlugin := pluginhelpers.CompilePlugin(t, consts.PluginTypeDatabase, "", c.pluginDirectory)
 	latestPlugin.Image, latestPlugin.ImageSha256 = pluginhelpers.BuildPluginContainerImage(t, latestPlugin, c.pluginDirectory)
 
@@ -3907,11 +3928,13 @@ func TestSystemBackend_PluginCatalog_ContainerCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 			in: map[string]any{
 				"oci_image": latestPlugin.Image,
 				"sha_256":   latestPlugin.ImageSha256,
+				"runtime":   pluginRuntime,
 			},
 			expected: map[string]interface{}{
 				"name":      "test-plugin",
 				"oci_image": latestPlugin.Image,
 				"sha256":    latestPlugin.ImageSha256,
+				"runtime":   pluginRuntime,
 				"command":   "",
 				"args":      []string{},
 				"builtin":   false,
@@ -3922,6 +3945,7 @@ func TestSystemBackend_PluginCatalog_ContainerCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 			in: map[string]any{
 				"oci_image": pluginV100.Image,
 				"sha256":    pluginV100.ImageSha256,
+				"runtime":   pluginRuntime,
 				"command":   "plugin",
 				"args":      []string{"--a=1"},
 				"version":   pluginVersion,
@@ -3931,6 +3955,7 @@ func TestSystemBackend_PluginCatalog_ContainerCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 				"name":      "test-plugin",
 				"oci_image": pluginV100.Image,
 				"sha256":    pluginV100.ImageSha256,
+				"runtime":   pluginRuntime,
 				"command":   "plugin",
 				"args":      []string{"--a=1"},
 				"builtin":   false,
@@ -6701,10 +6726,10 @@ func TestSystemBackend_pluginRuntime_CannotDeleteRuntimeWithReferencingPlugins(t
 	})
 	b := c.systemBackend
 
-	const runtime = "custom-runtime"
+	const pluginRuntime = "custom-runtime"
 	const ociRuntime = "runc"
 	conf := pluginruntimeutil.PluginRuntimeConfig{
-		Name:       runtime,
+		Name:       pluginRuntime,
 		Type:       consts.PluginRuntimeTypeContainer,
 		OCIRuntime: ociRuntime,
 	}
@@ -6714,11 +6739,6 @@ func TestSystemBackend_pluginRuntime_CannotDeleteRuntimeWithReferencingPlugins(t
 	req.Data = map[string]interface{}{
 		"oci_runtime": conf.OCIRuntime,
 	}
-
-	const pluginVersion = "v1.16.0"
-	plugin := pluginhelpers.CompilePlugin(t, consts.PluginTypeDatabase, pluginVersion, c.pluginDirectory)
-	plugin.Image, plugin.ImageSha256 = pluginhelpers.BuildPluginContainerImage(t, plugin, c.pluginDirectory)
-
 	resp, err := b.HandleRequest(namespace.RootContext(nil), req)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v %#v", err, resp)
@@ -6727,19 +6747,23 @@ func TestSystemBackend_pluginRuntime_CannotDeleteRuntimeWithReferencingPlugins(t
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", resp)
 	}
 
+	const pluginVersion = "v1.16.0"
+	plugin := pluginhelpers.CompilePlugin(t, consts.PluginTypeDatabase, pluginVersion, c.pluginDirectory)
+	plugin.Image, plugin.ImageSha256 = pluginhelpers.BuildPluginContainerImage(t, plugin, c.pluginDirectory)
+
 	// Register the plugin referencing the runtime.
 	req = logical.TestRequest(t, logical.UpdateOperation, "plugins/catalog/database/test-plugin")
 	req.Data["version"] = pluginVersion
 	req.Data["sha_256"] = plugin.ImageSha256
 	req.Data["oci_image"] = plugin.Image
-	req.Data["runtime"] = runtime
+	req.Data["runtime"] = pluginRuntime
 	resp, err = b.HandleRequest(namespace.RootContext(nil), req)
 	if err != nil || resp.Error() != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v %v", err, resp.Error())
 	}
 
 	// Expect to fail to delete the plugin runtime
-	req = logical.TestRequest(t, logical.DeleteOperation, fmt.Sprintf("plugins/runtimes/catalog/container/%s", runtime))
+	req = logical.TestRequest(t, logical.DeleteOperation, fmt.Sprintf("plugins/runtimes/catalog/container/%s", pluginRuntime))
 	resp, err = b.HandleRequest(namespace.RootContext(nil), req)
 	if resp == nil || !resp.IsError() || resp.Error() == nil {
 		t.Errorf("expected logical error but got none, resp: %#v", resp)
@@ -6757,7 +6781,7 @@ func TestSystemBackend_pluginRuntime_CannotDeleteRuntimeWithReferencingPlugins(t
 	}
 
 	// This time deleting the runtime should work.
-	req = logical.TestRequest(t, logical.DeleteOperation, fmt.Sprintf("plugins/runtimes/catalog/container/%s", runtime))
+	req = logical.TestRequest(t, logical.DeleteOperation, fmt.Sprintf("plugins/runtimes/catalog/container/%s", pluginRuntime))
 	resp, err = b.HandleRequest(namespace.RootContext(nil), req)
 	if err != nil || resp.Error() != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v %v", err, resp.Error())
diff --git a/vault/plugincatalog/plugin_catalog_test.go b/vault/plugincatalog/plugin_catalog_test.go
index ceffabf00e6c..94d3f321f084 100644
--- a/vault/plugincatalog/plugin_catalog_test.go
+++ b/vault/plugincatalog/plugin_catalog_test.go
@@ -803,6 +803,17 @@ func TestPluginCatalog_ErrDirectoryNotConfigured(t *testing.T) {
 	tempDir := catalog.directory
 	catalog.directory = ""
 
+	const pluginRuntime = "custom-runtime"
+	const ociRuntime = "runc"
+	err := catalog.runtimeCatalog.Set(context.Background(), &pluginruntimeutil.PluginRuntimeConfig{
+		Name:       pluginRuntime,
+		Type:       consts.PluginRuntimeTypeContainer,
+		OCIRuntime: ociRuntime,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	tests := map[string]func(t *testing.T){
 		"set binary plugin": func(t *testing.T) {
 			file, err := os.CreateTemp(tempDir, "temp")
@@ -854,6 +865,7 @@ func TestPluginCatalog_ErrDirectoryNotConfigured(t *testing.T) {
 				Name:     "container",
 				Type:     consts.PluginTypeDatabase,
 				OCIImage: plugin.Image,
+				Runtime:  pluginRuntime,
 			})
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)